Falcons at Saints Stock Report: Who's Rising, Falling After Crushing Loss?

From the brilliance of running back Bijan Robinson to the valleys of kicker Younghoe Koo, here's who's trending up -- and down -- for the Atlanta Falcons.

Atlanta Falcons star Bijan Robinson continued his strong year with a season-high 116 rushing yards at the New Orleans Saints. / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Falcons (6-4) suffered a 20-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints (3-7) on Sunday afternoon at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

Atlanta entered Sunday with five wins in its last six games. New Orleans had lost seven straight and fired head coach Dennis Allen last Monday. But in rivalry games, none of that seems to matter -- and the Falcons were ultimately forced to fly home with a "sick" feeling rooted in remorse.

Here's who's rising -- and falling -- after Atlanta's defeat.

Stock Up

Bijan Robinson

A season-high 116 rushing yards coupled with 28 receiving yards helped Robinson secure his NFL-best fifth consecutive game with 100-plus yards from scrimmage.

Robinson is one of only three players to have seven such games this season, joining Saints running back Alvin Kamara and Philadelphia Eagles ballcarrier Saquon Barkley.

The 22-year-old Robinson scored his fifth and sixth rushing touchdowns of the season Sunday after totaling only four as a rookie in 2023. Now at 1,079 yards from scrimmage, Robinson is only 384 yards away from the 1,463 he compiled last season.

David Onyemata

Atlanta’s defense totaled only two tackles for loss and one quarterback hit Sunday. Onyemata, who played defensive tackle for the Saints from 2016-22, was responsible for both numbers.

The 6-foot-4-inch, 300-pound Onyemata’s return to New Orleans netted a bright spot in an otherwise difficult campaign. A starter in each of Atlanta’s first nine games, Onyemata had totaled only 23 tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack and three quarterback hits.

But back in the place his NFL career began, Onyemata had one of his most productive performances this season.

Offensive Balance

In the first meeting between the Falcons and Saints, Atlanta failed to score an offensive touchdown. The Falcons’ struggles continues through the first quarter of Sunday’s game, as they amassed only 26 yards on nine plays.

But over the final three quarters, Atlanta’s offense came to life -- and so did a variety of its weapons beyond Robinson.

Receiver Drake London, who was questionable to play due to a hip pointer, caught eight passes for 97 yards. Fellow wideout Darnell Mooney made five receptions for 96 yards. Tight end Kyle Pitts hauled in four catches for 55 yards. Running back Tyler Allgeier took 11 carries for 59 yards.

Robinson aside, the Falcons struggled converting yards to touchdowns -- but imbalance wasn't the reason why.

Stock Down

Younghoe Koo

For the first time in his NFL career, Koo missed three field goals. A 53-yarder started and stayed wide left, a 35-yarder was blocked and a 46-yarder hit off the right upright and bounced back toward the field.

Koo finished the day 1-of-4, with his lone make coming from 27 yards in the third quarter, and he's now just 2-of-7 over the past four games. He connected on both of his extra point tries.

After the game, Koo accepted responsibility for Atlanta's loss.

"This game's fully on me," Koo said postgame via ESPN's Marc Raimondi. "I think we were playing well enough to win the football game, and I let the team down and I don't take that lightly."

Pass Rush

Just one week after having their best performance -- three sacks, seven quarterback hits -- rushing the passer, the Falcons returned to their struggles of old.

Apart from Onyemata, no other Falcon recorded a quarterback hit. Atlanta has now finished four games without a sack and remains last in the NFL with only nine sacks this season.

Offensive Line

Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins was sacked three times and hit nine times overall. On two of his hits, he fumbled -- one of which resulted in a 20-yard loss during Atlanta's final offensive drive. It proved to be an insurmountable play on a once-promising drive.

The Falcons' offensive line had a strong day run blocking, paving the way for 181 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, but Cousins's white jersey was on the ground more often than anyone would have liked.